a headphones recommendation thread

i'm in the market for new headphones, preferably ones that are:

- between $50-$80
- over the ear
- in a store like best buy or something (not a true necessity i guess but i dont love buying things online)

i've bought like 5 pairs of headphones in the past 3 years so i want a pair that are durable. also i don't have an ipod so i don't care if they make me look like a bug since they're just for in-home use.

thx

post in here

koss portapro

oh shit, those aren't expensive enough for you.

well if they're good but less than $50 i dont really care

i just figured good headphones were around that price range - i've always bought shitty in ear ones

best resource for these decisions:

http://headphone.com/guide/by-budget/40-80/

JVC HANC80 Folding Noise Cancelling Headphones

^^on my second pair of these. pretty cheap, too.

Grado SR-60 are pretty nice for the money.

Everything I've read and heard about the Grado SR-60's has been A+ super positive. They'd be the ones I'd buy in that price range.

(probably won't be able to find them easily in stores though)

The Grado's are nice sounding, but the fit is notoriously uncomfortable and they make your ears sore very quickly. Perhaps they've fixed them in recent years, though? The pics on the HeadRoom site look a little different (more padding).

I have a pair of the Beyerdynamic DT 235s. If you're just looking for home-use, I'd recommend them highly because they're super comfortable and sound great. They'd look a little funny for walking down the street though.

I like Sony MDR-EX81 earbuds. They used to go for $70 years ago but I'm on my second pair from Amazon for about $35. Good sound, definitely heavier on bass though so it depends on your tastes. 2/3s of what I listen to now is rap or techno, so I love these, but if you're going for jazz, classical, misc, or everything you might not like these if you're ok with giving up bass for other traits.

The EX-71s are a step below. I haven't heard them but they also supposedly emphasize bass a bit. They're traditionally-designed earbuds of the over-the-ear aspect of the 81s doesn't interest you.

Confirmed the EX-71s are the same thing, only without ear hooks. But Sony's made some newer models since these came out (EX75, EX85, and EX90 are comparable)

Sarge I have a pair of Grado SR-60s to hook up to my stereo for *serious listening time* when I wanna hear all the details on some vinyl-ass record. They're amazing but as is suggested upthread they make the ears kinda sore after like 20 minutes. I'm not sure if it's a fitting issue or if its the frequencies you're hearing or what, but it's definitely a factor.

For most other headphone listening I have a pair of these lil shits I got at Radio Shack for like http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K/ref=pd_cp_e_2?pf_rd_p=413863501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00001P505&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1V06P2C5BC80SASAWF2X5 based on a recommendation at Head-Fi. By several orders of magnitude they're the best portable headphones I've ever used.

http://www.amazon.com/Bose-41215-On%252dEar-Headphones/dp/B000HWRBG2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242001493&sr=8-7

Bose on-ear. Paid like $189--link is cheaper--at Best Buy 2 1/2 years ago. Best I've ever had.

lower-end sennheisers (280, 555) are decent and worlds more comfortable than grados

thanks guys

comfort is a high priority here

Reccommend a pair of headphones for me

i want my own thread

don't take any flack jordan

I've had Grado SR-80s for several years and think they're plenty comfortable. The Sennheisers were less comfy by far; I think it depends a lot on head & ear shape.

im leaning towards the sr60s right now i think

altho i am tempted to buy the sr80s and then make the "s" a "g"

thanks guys

comfort is a high priority here

― triple-hater protection (J0rdan S.), Monday, May 11, 2009 1:34 AM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark

im leaning towards the sr60s right now i think

― triple-hater protection (J0rdan S.), Monday, May 11, 2009 1:50 AM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark

Thinking your setting yourself up for some hurt here. The main reason the Grados are uncomfortable is that the pads rest flush against the ears, pressing down the whole time, not over the ears like some of the larger Senn's or Denon or Beyerdynamics.

makes sense

update: no longer leaning towards sr60s right now

My Grado SR-80s have been wonderful for years now. They can be a little uncomfortable but usually only when I'm listening to really compressed music too loud.

SR60s give a bright, in your face presentation which is good for rock. I've never found them uncomfortable physically, but the presentation can be a little tiring. Take a look at the Sennheiser PX100, which is more of an all-rounder. Also I've heard good things about the iGrado, but then you'd be wearing something on your head called an iGrado.

I wear SR60s pretty much all day, every day at work and haven't found them to be uncomfortable at all. They're flimsy as hell though, at least mine are - the pads seem to be deteriorating and wearing through, and the bit of plastic that anchors the metal strap into each headphone broke so I have to carefully assemble them to put them on.

They will mail you plastic caps for free, they did for my sr80's last week. Just mail the support email on their webpage. I have had mine for over 5 years, wear them all the time, and the pads are still pretty great.

even tho they're pads they block noise pretty well?

keep us updated good luck jordan s

well they bleed sound like crazy but i don't hear much over them

ok

The pads don't block noise at all - they're not subway headphones. Also keep in mind the SR-60 cord is long and thick and not too bendable.

"cumlord, i'm discouraged" xp

lol

i sent my portapros back to koss to be mended in february and never received anything back (shoulda sent recorded), so am thinking of upgrading to something kinda bulkier. this all makes me think sr60s are a good idea; portapros are like a training course in accepting headphone discomfort in the name of higher fidelity.

I have ear cartilage that points out some in the middle, The SR60s were very comfortable for my ears because I could angle them against the ear. My newer SR125s are less comfortable because the ear part sticking out goes right into the hard center of the speakers.

try monster beats, if
- your head isnt too big
- you dont mind paying the extra marketing toll for dr.dre

has useful features, like active ambient noise killer, single fold-away earpads
sound is 'ok' too.

lower-end sennheisers (280, 555) are decent and worlds more comfortable than grados

― booth, Monday, 11 May 2009 01:29 (9 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I've had a pair of Sennheiser HD570's for nearly ten years. They're really comfortable as long as the weather isn't hot, although that's true of all headphones. They've been discontinued. but whatever the currect equivelent is should be around $50-$80.

check out the Audio Technica range

I have panasonic rp-htx7s, which are big old-fashioned over the ear phones (not pads that sit on the ear). They are closed-back, which was essential for me, as I do most of my listening either on public transport or at home with someone else in the room, so I didn't want sound leaking in or out.

However, closed back phones are usually much poorer sound quality at the same price as open ones. I'm not too sure of the overall quality, but because the speaker is actually away from your ear, you don't get the claustrophobic quality that you get with, say PX200s. I like the way they sound anyway - lively.

Plus they look really cool.

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/pa/panasonic-rphtx7.jpg

If you're seriously tempted by the Grado SR60s, I'd strongly recommend considering getting Alessandro MS1s for $20 more - you have to buy them online, sadly, and they're $100 (including P&P to anywhere in the world), but they're made by Grado, are roughly equivalent to the SR125, and tuned with less brightness than any Grado. I find them much more agreeable than the SR60s, which I found quite fatiguing.

Failing that, get a dedicated headphone amp and a pair of AKG K601s; I ADORE these (big buggers top-right).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3430/3225479471_dac5148d5d.jpg

Top-LEFT, duh me.

can anyone briefly explain the difference between the Grado SR60s and SR80s to me?

About $25.

Ba-dum-tsh.

Um, apparently slightly more bass extension, you get different earpads (the donuts rather than the sponges), a little more detail and soundstage, and allegedly a little brighter-sounding, even. If you get chance, listen to both and see which you prefer, I'd suggest.

Thanks. I'm going to the US next week and I was thinking I'd buy some Grados over there. I'm a bit worried by frequent mentions of lack of bass on the Grados and constant reference to them being 'rock' HPs.

There's a characteristic "mid-bass hump" in Grados that gives kick drums a real slam, but there's not masses of extension, no. They definitely favour rock over electronic music in terms of how they deliver; it's a very coloured sound, not an even one. It's absolutely exciting as all fucking hell if you're in the right mood, though.

What would be better headphones for electronic music? I love the Grado slam, as you put it, and I listen to plenty of electronic music, but if I'm missing something then I'd like to hear better.

I've got Sennheiser HD650's which I'm extremely impressed by, but those aren't in the same price range so I'll shut up.

What's your budget? I had some Sennhesier HD595s a few years ago which were better but didn't quite tickle me right, so I upgraded to the AG K601s mentioned above, which suit me for pretty much all music these days. Sennhesier HD555s might be a good try from what I've heard of them.

x-post

StanM, you running them off a headphone amp?

No, should I?

Ok, so the AG K601s would be good for anything, you say. Good. I'm not in the market for them now, and I see that they're pretty pricey, but on the other hand I listen to 6-8 hours a day of music most days on headphones, so it's an expense I could justify as a long-term good.

Almost certainly; they're quite power-hungry and everything I've read about them suggested you'd not be getting anywhere near the best out of them without a dedicated headphone amp. What you running them off? Hi-fi amp socket? Mini-system? iPod?

x-post

6-8 hours a day with headphones definitely justifies forking out a bit of cash, I'd say!

http://www.multitalent-production.com/Bilder/Equipment/akgk240.jpg
AKG 240s - Still love 'em after all these years. Great sound and their self-adjusting design make them very comfortable.
And they're a good value at $85-$120.

xpost: Hi-fi amp socket

And thanks for the tip, btw, will check out headphone ampage now.

StanM's look sweet but def above my budget (approx 150-200 USD)

I also have the AKG601s and they're pretty good all-rounders. Bass is a little lacking (but very accurate, and they go deep) and the soundstage is pretty enormous, which leads to good instrument separation.

If you're not absolutely bent on having full size headphones, take a look at IEMs (in-ear monitors). You can get very, very good IEMs for under $200 and you won't need a headphone amp to drive them.

Bear in mind that Grados are not the most comfortable headphones in the world, even with the larger doughnut pads. (At least, I'm assuming that the replacement pads I got for my SR-125s - much better than the originals - are what comes as standard thesedays with 80s and above).

Mine would be for late night listening at home so one or two consecutive hours max.

Got my Porta pros, 2 weeks ago and they are great. good for long periods and realy really comfortable.

coupled with my sansa clip Ive got a great pair of headphones and an 8 gig mp3 player/FM radio for about £60 inclusive.

I'd even recomend then for indoor use as I dont always like the closed off ones for long periods of time. its nice and safer to hear other sounds as well.

that is exactly my setup = Clip + PortaPros

and then i listen to a bunch of shitty mp3s

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Denon AH-D1001 yet. I wasn't aware until last month that Denon made nice cans, but there's been a lot of talk about their latest line of sealed headphones. It's the first time I've heard of a sealed headphone sounding better than a lot of open headphones. A sealed headphone is perfect if you live with a partner or are married, and want to listen to music in bed without disturbing them.

The AH-D1001 is a semi-portable on-ear headphone that's light and small enough to use for travel. I intend to take it on vacations. I have a portable iBasso Cobra DAC/amp that I can connect to portable DVD/CD player via coaxial. But mostly I use it in the bedroom, connected to my Squeezebox. It doesn't require nearly as much power as my AKG K701, so an amp isn't totally necessary. It's comfortable enough that I've used it for two hours and forgotten they were on my head, and have even fallen asleep with them on (try not to do that with the volume is too loud!)

Their list price is $150 but I got them for $83+shipping via Amazon. I can't imagine a better deal for other sealed headphones. I've heard Sennheiser HD280 Pro for the same price, Sony MDR-7506 ($96), and Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($120) and I prefer the Denon. I've heard several Grados and they're not for me, and are not sealed.

I think the Porta Pros design is a little nagging and overwrought, the way they have those unnecessary pads that reach for your temples and the comfort control switch or whatever. Also not impressed by folding headphones in general.

Reviews from headphone geeks:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/denon-ah-d1001-review-352409/
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/denon-ah-d1001-first-impressions-362189/

I just picked up my new AKG K77s from the FedEx debpot. God I love the FedEx logo. These are for my new office, which I share with real live people. £30.

I just ordered the bottom end Alessadros so I shall report back. They are in PA so damned sales tax meant couldn't use my AT&T rebate. Never mind.

AKG K77

http://cannoneerno4.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/ak47.jpg

Sorry. Didn't mean to kill the thread :-(

the only thing that could fix the thread now is for the final verdict on the headphone purchase to come in

AKG 240

^i am intrigued by these

either tomorrow or wednesday:

http://bluraydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/verdict1946dvdr.jpg

AKG 240s are the best headphones ive ever used that weren't stupid expensive beyer dynamic ones.

i think i will buy them

on the cheap i can also recommend the AKG K-220M which look really terrible but sound pretty good

i can vouch for the AKGs. plus they're kinda fabulous looking with the gold accents

jumping the "gun"

uh which despite the fact that i have a pair sitting in front of me do not appear to exist anymore so never mind xposts

these are going to be a birthday gift so the 240s aren't too expensive

in other words im not paying for them

grados are not uncomfortable waht is rong with u ppl

yeah but those AKGs feel like you are giving your ears a hug tho

saying grados are not uncomfortable is like saying that it's okay that your husband beats you because you love him and he doesn't know any better

http://www.granitegrok.com/pix/gavel_1.jpg

Open Orders
Order Date: May 11, 2009
Order #: 103-0537289-9747458
Recipient: J0rd4n S4rg3nt

Items not yet shipped:
Delivery estimate: May 14, 2009
1 of: AKG K240 Semi Open Studio Headphones
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC

dude you are srsly going to love those headphones, i was going to recommend them earlier but thought they were more expensive

I love my Sennheiser hd280pros. On the upper end of cheap, comfortable, over ear, great sound.

Grados are not uncomfortable on my head. This is fact. Not all things fit all people; for example, most old-school styled closed cans and over-ear headphones I find incredibly uncomfortable.

In many ways this article reiterates a lot of what has been recommended in this thread, but that is perhaps comforting in itself...:

http://www.goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/recommendations.htm

They said pretty much the same thing as I did about the Denon AH-D1001. Except you can get it for under $90. I really don't think you can get anything better at that price.

i can't get over ppl calling headphones "cans"

btw guess what i got in the mail toooooday

http://i41.tinypic.com/v32grn.jpg

AKG 240s are the best headphones ive ever used that weren't stupid expensive beyer dynamic ones.

― Esprit de Corpsgrinder Fisher (jjjusten), Tuesday, May 12, 2009 1:48 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

if you're looking for closed headphones for work or the subway or whatever, these Beyerdynamics (DT 241s) are maybe even a better deal than Grados (which i have and love as well) when it comes to price vs. performance...only $50

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Beyerdynamic-DT-231-Pro-Professional-Closed-Headphone?sku=272021&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26020963

Well, my Grado SR-125s have bitten the dust after 11 years (loose cable on the right), so I guess I'm in the market for headphones too.

I'm still sad my sony eggos (the d66-sl model) have a broken headband, but I might try to repair it one of these days. I got some Sennheiser PX100s to throw in my bag instead, and I can endorse them. They looked a lot more fragile than I expected when I first got them, but they've worked pretty well.

Open Orders
Order Date: May 11, 2009
Order #: 103-0537289-9747458
Recipient: J0rd4n S4rg3nt

Items not yet shipped:
Delivery estimate: May 14, 2009
1 of: AKG K240 Semi Open Studio Headphones
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC

Awesome - you're gonna love them!
I remember when I first bought mine — jeez, must have been at least 25 years ago — and reading how they have more naturalistic stereo sound because they're supposed to replicate the feel of a live concert. Something about the music sounding like it's slightly in front of you, rather than just at the sides of your head. That may be overstated a bit, but they sure sound true-to-life to me.

Well, my Grado SR-125s have bitten the dust after 11 years (loose cable on the right), so I guess I'm in the market for headphones too.

― Michael Jones, Friday, May 15, 2009 4:11 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

You can probably fix this pretty easily with a cheap soldering iron, especially if the break occurred at the wire-pad contact instead of internally. But if you did that then you wouldn't have an excuse to buy something new!

i call them "tins"

Any recommendations on something biased a bit toward the low-end? I listen to about 70% electronic and shitty rap. Looked through the thread but didn't find too many bass-biased recommendations. Closed design preferable for subway, either earbud or headphone design is fine. I listen to about half and half CDs and shitty 192kbit MP3s. Around $100 or less is good, but I'm open to persuasion.

i call them "ear hats"

for example, are these Beyerdynamics DT 231s bassy? the description seems to fit on the musicianschoice.com website...

You can probably fix this pretty easily with a cheap soldering iron

Hell, no - I'll be using an audiophile soldering iron. But, yeah, I should really try and rescue these.

Any recommendations on something biased a bit toward the low-end? I listen to about 70% electronic and shitty rap. Looked through the thread but didn't find too many bass-biased recommendations. Closed design preferable for subway, either earbud or headphone design is fine. I listen to about half and half CDs and shitty 192kbit MP3s. Around $100 or less is good, but I'm open to persuasion.

― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard), Friday, May 15, 2009 6:47 AM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

Beyer DT770s are legendary for being good, bass-heavy closed cans. However the midrange is a bit recessed which is not that good for rap. You can get them for about $150 at any Guitar Center. And they look awesome:

http://www.mediamusique.com/edit/vente/pict/Beyer_Dynamic/DT%20770%20PRO.jpg

(make sure to get the old edition that is all black like shown above)

However for subway use I think IEMs beat all in terms of noise isolation - you can probably pick up a pair of Shure's for under $100 that would do well, but the bass might not be as head-splitting as the DT770s.

these things are dope as hell

good lookin out john

it's taking me a little to get used to the sound not being all in my ear canal but it's such a full sound

Michael Jones as to your broken Grado's, you should contact the company and see if they would fix them for you. My 60s fell about that way and when my wife purchased me my 125's, the company was disappointed that we didn't give them a chance to make the old ones right. No idea how it would go, but couldn't hurt. Refer them to this thread for grins.

Nother vote for the SR 80s here. Leaky, uncomfortable and I still love em

so...flat broke...want bass/portability, nothing high end as I will buy good dj headphones when I start my job. what you guys reckon? something cheap that really has a good bang....

what is uncomfortable -- its just a pad

it squeezes the ear man

interesting thread - i wasn't thinking about buying new headphones, but now i am! here's my deal - i mostly use headphones to listen to my ipod while biking around in the tropical sun. also, i'm superpicky about comfort in my earphones (which is why i don't wear my nice, high quality earbuds too often) so which of these earphones would be comfortable and usable for high heat, mp3 player situations? the portapros and px100s look promising, but i don't mind spending some money and wearing big ol cans either if they're comfortable - for instance it looks like the BEYER DYNAMIC DT770's have nice, soft, felty ear donut thingys that might be comfortable to wear for an hour or two even in the heat...

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv185/jimmythek_bucket/thetruthaboutgradoheadphones.jpg

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv185/jimmythek_bucket/thetruthaboutgradoheadphones.jpg

You can very easily avoid twistiness on Grados by being careful with the cable. I hang my headphones on a Koss holdaphone hanger when not in use, and the cables stay in great shape.

Ronan you may well like the Koss Portapros; about £25 off Amazon and plenty of low-end.

Yeah, I hung the Grados on various wall-hooks in the three previous places I lived but never seemed to get around to finding a proper home for them in this house, so they ended up stuffed into the gap between pre-amp and shelf, often coiled up with their 5m extension cable.

Grado are US-based, so I may be out of luck as far as keeping repairs cheap, simply due to the postage costs.

I bought my third pair of Sennheiser PX100s yesterday. They are so great and mega cheap. I have a long standing issue with headphones where the cable comes off (happens with every pair I've ever had) but these are cheap enough I can just buy a new pair.

interesting thread - i wasn't thinking about buying new headphones, but now i am! here's my deal - i mostly use headphones to listen to my ipod while biking around in the tropical sun. also, i'm superpicky about comfort in my earphones (which is why i don't wear my nice, high quality earbuds too often) so which of these earphones would be comfortable and usable for high heat, mp3 player situations? the portapros and px100s look promising, but i don't mind spending some money and wearing big ol cans either if they're comfortable - for instance it looks like the BEYER DYNAMIC DT770's have nice, soft, felty ear donut thingys that might be comfortable to wear for an hour or two even in the heat...

― messiahwannabe, Friday, May 15, 2009 11:24 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark

DT770s in the heat would be like holding two waffle irons next to your ears, I would imagine - they are a closed design so there would be little to no breathability. DT770s would be absolutely awesome in the winter, however, as are generally all full size cans.

Plus, being closed, they'll impair your ability to listen to ambient noise, for example, a speeding car. I would just go with a pair of cheap, open headphones/earbuds you wouldn't mind losing or breaking.

ep630s eg

Any recommendations on something biased a bit toward the low-end? I listen to about 70% electronic and shitty rap. Looked through the thread but didn't find too many bass-biased recommendations. Closed design preferable for subway, either earbud or headphone design is fine. I listen to about half and half CDs and shitty 192kbit MP3s. Around $100 or less is good, but I'm open to persuasion.
― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard)

Since everyone's ignoring me, take it from the goodcans.com page regarding the Denon AH-D1001: "And bass, boy does it have bass! More than virtually any headphone we've liked, (FYI, most of the headphones we've liked in the past have been "Open" headphones which typically have clean, but somewhat limited bass). These Cans will please those of you who like bass!"

I listen to ... shitty rap.\
OK, I'll bite: Why?

I guess I don't have a good answer for that. But I'll eventually have to hear the new Eminem album so I might as well get some decent headphones.

Thank you for the rec, fastnbulbous.

Jordan, are you using a headphone amp?

Stuck here with an iPod ... if i get an amp, it'll need to be battery powered.

treated myself to the alessandro ms1s I've been eyeing up, on the impetus of this thread

can't wait for them to show up

"I bought my third pair of Sennheiser PX100s yesterday. They are so great and mega cheap. I have a long standing issue with headphones where the cable comes off (happens with every pair I've ever had) but these are cheap enough I can just buy a new pair."

Believe Sennheisers have a two (?) year warranty, Just ship 'em back to them and they'll replace them no charge.

I don't know what to make of the ms1s really : /

maybe my ears aren't sensitive enough to appreciate them or maybe I shd listen to something other than shitty mp3s

Have they played for 100 hours? Some headphones need that kind of playing time before you can tell how good they are.

i mostly use headphones to listen to my ipod while biking around in the tropical sun. also, i'm superpicky about comfort in my earphones

Okay, how bout you come to Chicago where you can enjoy my AKG and Denon cans, cooled by the crisp cool wind off Lake Michigan, and I'll take your place in the tropics where I'll cruise around with my Osirus backpack with built-in amp and speakers (much safer for biking).

I don't know what to make of the ms1s really : /

maybe my ears aren't sensitive enough to appreciate them or maybe I shd listen to something other than shitty mp3s

― zinguist (cozwn), dimanche 24 mai 2009 13:35 (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Have they played for 100 hours? Some headphones need that kind of playing time before you can tell how good they are.

― StanM, dimanche 24 mai 2009 14:53 (2 days ago) Bookmark

So last week, I listened to the whole Grado range up to the 225s and I have to say I was really disappointed. I couldn't believe how trebly they sounded. But you may be right, maybe they sounded like shit because I tried brand new pairs, straight out of the box.
In the end, I went for the AKG 240s

I got some MS1s a couple of years back and second the "burn in" time - they definitely got better after extended use. If all you're listening to is low bitrate mp3s then they will certainly reveal problems that cheap headphones might mask. Also, if you are using them with a portable player they really will benefit from even a cheap headphone amp to give them enough juice at reasonable volumes; I use a little Headphonia/Headstage amp with mine and it makes a world of difference.

This thread is firing AKG want too, plenty of love by the sound of it.

First of all, any suggestions would be really appreciated by me. i need help choosing good, relatively cheap earbuds. i own Sennheiser PXC 300s for my serious phones usage but when i'm working out or falling asleep i prefer buds & my cat destroyed the buds that came with my mp3 player. i don't want to spend a lot on secondary phones but i would like an upgrade, or at least, the best bang for my buck (thinking in the $20-$35 range). Comfort & sound quality are important obv. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

I like my Sennheiser CX300s. The ear-canal thing really works for me. Love being able to lie with my ear on a pillow and them still be comfortable.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX300-B-Earbuds-Black/dp/B000E6G9RI

I swear by these things:

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-SPARKPLUG-Stereo-Ear-Plugs/dp/B00081A2DQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245164620&sr=1-1

they're dirt cheap, sound pretty good (way better than more expensive earbuds headphones I've tried), and I love the earplug type design. they don't fall out of my ears (which I hate), I don't have to feel conscious of my music "bleeding" and annoying other people, and I don't have to blast them to hear the subtleties of what I'm listening to.

if you don't like the way earplugs feel, you probably won't like em. but I'm used to that after playing in bands for years. obviously, they don't sound as good a nice pair of over the ear headphones, but for what they are, they're great.

only thing is, they're definitely cheaply made. I've gone through two pairs but don't really care because they're so cheap. koss does offer some warranty but I've always been too lazy to file for it. probably should do that....

I love my Audio Technica in-ear buds but they're a bit above the price range you indicated (approx 70 USD if I remember)

Thanks for the recommendations. i wouldn't mind paying a lil more but i just don't use them often enough to justify sinking a bunch of cash on em.

I also love my Sennheiser CX300s for normal walking around, riding the bus listening. But I absolutely hate the uneven cord lengths for each earbud.

koss does offer some warranty but I've always been too lazy to file for it. probably should do that....

fyi: koss warranty is the greatest thing in the world. it would make me a LIFELONG CUSTOMER if it hadn't already made me a lifetime-requester-of-free-replacement-goods. they're awesome though.

i need better earbuds for the gym, but obvs i don't want anything expensive since they get all sweaty and shit. those koss ones look tight, thanks for that.

fyi: koss warranty is the greatest thing in the world. it would make me a LIFELONG CUSTOMER if it hadn't already made me a lifetime-requester-of-free-replacement-goods. they're awesome though.

ok, I have to do this now!

But I absolutely hate the uneven cord lengths for each earbud.

This really put me off them as well. I think I might have oddly-shaped ears, too, because I couldn't quite get them to fit very well. They were always on the cusp of falling out of my ears.

I'm using a Shure pair now, but they'd probably fail your price requirement by a few bucks.

Yeah uneven cord lengths are not cool. The sparkplugs don't have that problem do they?

But I absolutely hate the uneven cord lengths for each earbud.

Never thought of this as a problem before - you don't run one cord round the back of your neck and have the iPod/whatever on one side?

Ditto.

Yeah, it took me a while to realise that was how you dealt with them. It has two advantages:

- you can take one earbud out when you need to talk to someone without the other one taking extra weight (and potentially falling out too as a result)

- it stops the cord swinging about so much, which is especially important if you've got ear-canal ones where cord friction tends to be picked up and send to your ear

koss sparkblugs make my ears hurt : /

not physically (well, ultimately physically, i suppose): just pretty much everything i've listened to with them made me go OW TREBLE OW

I can't get into running the cord over the back of my neck for some reason - it feels wrong and I always end up getting them tangled on something. I also like the option of swapping my ipod from one pocket to another without being limited by cord length.

Want: cheap earbud style that will last for more than a couple of months with uneven cord lengths.

Sennheiser CX300 fits that bill. They've been mentioned above.

I love my CX300s about 90%, would love 100% if they didn't have uneven cord lengths.

checked 'em upthread, didn't seem cheap enough. Done a little ebaying and they look more reasonable.

I have just have a pair of Sennheiser MX560s break after two months, I'm trusting these are better?

Hi ILM, I need headphones that I can use in a noisy office. They will not be used for travelling to/from work or anywhere, they will stay at my desk. By 'noisy', I mean co-workers who yell across the office at one another and often play their music on the office speakers so loudly that my current set of headphones can't override it without me risking eventual tinnitis (or that's what it feels like anyway).

So basically I need something over the ear and capable of completely blocking out external music/noise while still on a safe volume level. Help?

Would you consider in-ear sound isolators rather than over-ear cancellers?

Sennheiser HD-25. Compact and a favourite in the broadcats insudtry because they don't allow sound in or out. Have been my workplace headphones for years, also good for plane journeys, even with screaming children. In fact I am listening to mine right now.

A little on the bass heavy side and less definition than the alessandro baby grado's I have at home but comfortable enough to use all day and then fall asleep wearing them.

also look at beyerdynamic dt770

Sennheiser HD-280pro

Cheaper and larger. Can't compare blockage though.

i have had great luck with my beyerdynamic dt - 231s

I like the Dt770s but they are huge.

Hd280s can be uncomfortable until you break them in; the headband has a viselike grip xp

I love my Grado SR-80i's very very much.

But they're aren't good for an office.

yeah i love grados but they are sooooo open, they don't block out any noise at all..

honestly those beyerdynamic dt 231s are one of the best values in headphones i swear.

I think I'd consider in-ear ones as long as the sound quality is still good! (I'm not an audiophile type so what's 'good' for me doesn't have to be super state of the art/top of the line quality). They would also have the benefit of being guaranteed to fit my smallish girly head, which a lot of over-ear kinds don't. So I guess either kind will do. I should probably leave myself open to as many options as possible.

Thanks for suggestions so far, everyone xx

in ears would be best as they provide the most isolation and sound quality. there's been an explosion in the number of manufacturer of these, but imo you can't go wrong with shire or sennheiser... if you told us what you consider good we could be of better help!

I assume you mean Shure not Shire..

I had some Shures for ages (sold them when I stopped using the train; I walk in Portapros) and they were great.

If your coworkers are playing music that loud, a set of in-ears would be best. I've used a couple of Shure pairs and was satisfied.

My third (THIRD!) pair of Sennheiser in-ears broke on me last week. And I was taking extra-special care with these ones, too.

I'm tempted to get a pair of Shures for Xmas but not if they'll only last a few months like my CX-300s. Bah.

How are they breaking? I've never had a pair of headphones 'break' on me - nearest thing was a pair of Sennheiser PX100s that I had for two years, used every day, and the cord eventually frayed a bit.

Emma's brother goes through headphones like crazy, but he breaks everything he owns.

whenever my in-ears have gone (probably once a year) it's been down to the sound cutting out in one ear at first, so i have to fiddle with the jack and even hold it in place sometimes etc. (only use in-ears for the ipod.) the other side goes a week or so after.

was about to buy the cx300s now actually but if they really break that easily i might get the koss sparkplugs instead - lifetime warranty applies for the in-ears too right? the cx300s look like they'd have superior, or subtler, sound though so i dunno. anyone had experience of both?

CX300s over Sparkplugs by a long way.

Maybe the loudness of their music is exaggerated by how annoying I find it in general, I don't know. I'm just not very good at getting work done with any sort of background noise that I haven't generated myself or can't control... other people's music, construction/roadworks, ticking clocks, anything rhythmic, etc.

As for what's 'good', you guys probably know better than I do. It's unlikely I'll be able to tell if the sound quality isn't amazingly super, unless it's blatantly tinny or trebley or whatever, so I guess as long as there's a good balance between bass/mid/treble ranges? I'm not very good at discussing sound-related things but I trust you guys..

Are the in-ear ones comfortable to wear for long periods of time?

How are they breaking?

One of the earbuds - usually the left, but on this last pair it's the right - just craps out; the sound is significantly reduced in volume if not totally inaudible. At first I put it down to my own carelessness handling the cord, thinking I'd fecked up the wire in the earbud or broken the connection somehow - but I was so careful with my latest pair (wrapping them neatly, keeping them in the carry pouch) and they still crapped out on me.

Yes, they have a 2-year guarantee, but it's a chore getting to the store (or worse, to some godforsaken industrial estate to the manufacturer's office) for a replacement. It's a real shame as I love the rich bassy sound, and they block out so much ambient noise; you wouldn't expect it for the price.

yeah shure the perils of iPhone autocorrection xp

Still lovin' my Denon AH-D1001 that I recommended upthread. Some reviews have said they don't totally block outside sound. Maybe if you're on a loud train or passing by a construction site. But I've had someone try to talk to me right next to me and I didn't notice. They sound better than any noise cancellation version that I know of.

The only closed can that seems to come close is the slightly more expensive Audio-Technica ATH-M50. I recommended it to a friend who uses them solely at work and he loves them.

I picked up a pair of those same Denon AH-D1001s last month, and they've been fantastic for me. Decently portable, and they block out enough outside noise that I'm not distracted unless there's something REALLY noisy going on. Still, they don't come remotely close to how silent my Shure in-ears made the world.

after the denon recommendations on here I went and auditioned some d1001s and d2000s, and couldn't help but go one step higher for the d2000s. fantastic out of my iBasso amp, great bass, and best of all closed, so I can use em in the office. apparently their frequency response is very flat, which is great, as pronounced highs fatigue me very easily. just ran through rhythm nation and now have got the new order recycle stuff on, and they sound great.

i decided to go ahead with this, potential ilx wisdom be damned, but i'm about to get some sr-60s after destroying my portapros so comprehensively that i don't feel i can use the warranty in good conscience. this will be a thrilling step up, right? for ipod listening.

might be a lateral move tbh; but it's good to try different headphones

i got a pair of sennheisers for christmas and compared with my falling-apart iphone headphones its like a whole new world!!

a new, enchanted point of view!!!

ears are not responsible for seeing, and hence cannot have a point of view; I think you're using a mixed metaphor

Tried some Denon AH-D2000s in a shop and they did indeed sound lovely, but it's a shame the cable is not replaceable like it is on Sennheisers in a similar price range.

(The lead has died long before the rest of every pair of headphones I've ever had, so personally I'm reluctant to spend that much on a new pair without a replaceable lead. But apparently plenty of people happily use headphones for decades without ever having this happen, so I may be treating them too roughly or something.)

beware the cheapo grados. got 2 pair a year ago & 3 out of 4 cans are dead after very little use.
wtf, buy local?

they were mentioned before but i'll give another thumbs up for the koss ksc 75 (small on ear headphones you fit onto the ear lobes). they are easy too wear, don't hurt the ear and their sound is better than all "in ear" earplugs i have at home (sennheiser, philips, samsung, sony etc.). they beat for example the bose triport which are about five times more expensive and which do not fit 100% into my ear, no matter which rubber end i choose.

here they are, you can get them at around 21€ in germany:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/317Cc7-1f0L._SL500_AA240_.jpg

beware the cheapo grados. got 2 pair a year ago & 3 out of 4 cans are dead after very little use.

ahh this is good advice. i will still get them but be pretty bereft if they quit on me.

things i will miss about portapros: that exta four inches or so of lead.

My Grado SR-125s finally pegged out on me a few months back (it's just a dodgy connection, probably 10p of solder will fix it) but that was after 11 years of heavy use.

sennheiser hd485s for my ipod y?

for home use, sure - but if yr planning on wearing them out and about their being open will cause problems, both with sound leaking out and coming in.

10-foot cord, too. Try jamming that in your pocket!

I'm really tempted by the Sennheiser PXC310 BT - noise cancelling, bluetooth wireless mid-sized cans. They use the new apt-x codec which is supposed to be great. Anyone have any experience with these?

Just bought some in-ear AKG K 370. Sounds seems pretty outstanding but the fit is awkward. Not sure whether that'll improve with time.

"This page will show you how to turn a $199.95 (Canadian – retail) pair of Sennheiser HD 555 headphones into a pair of Sennheiser HD 595‘s that cost $349.95. And all you need is a screwdriver."
http://mikebeauchamp.com/misc/sennheiser-hd-555-to-hd-595-mod/

I got those bluetooth Senn's I mentioned above. They sound AMAZING coming out of my Droid phone, I'm shocked it's bluetooth! I got an apt-x dongle for my iPod, too, so I can be free of wires at all times. Woohoo!

Pretty awesome. I donated my old pair of well-worn HD 555s to my girlfriend, but will definitely pass the mod info along (or probably just end up doing it myself).

Pretty apt timing with this thread.

I have a full Rega set up and am looking to get more into headphone listening. I need to get a headphone amplifier as there is no output on my Rega mira amp.

Any ideas?

Meier audio cord a gear. Google it. I run a rega Apollo into one.

Specifically an older version of the Swing - http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/ - with a pair of aKG K601s.

Cheers. How much did you spend on one?

(Good work on the record club by the way, been enjoying looking at it. Gonna start up my own too!)

Cost me €200 about four years ago, the headphones were about £150 from a German website. Thoroughly recommend them.

(Thank you! Next meeting might be later this week depending on how quick I can get back from a conference.)

On the back of this I've ended up with a Rega Ear amp and a pair of Allesandro MS1s.

Hopefully they should arrive for tomorrow. I'm taking me Wednesday off.

i'm about to send my ms-1s off to get fixed. not because they're shitty, just because i schepped them around so much that they got messed up. don't use them as your portable phones, is the moral of this story.

Alessandro MS1s, $100 incl shipping. Better than either. Made by Grado.

Thinking about getting these, but curious how they'll sound from different sources. I often pop in CDs at home, but also play shitty 128kpbs AAC files in iTunes from my laptop, and from my iPod. (Lower quality = more storage room. I've been importing at 128kbps for years as I can't tell a different between 128, 160, 192 on earbuds or laptop speakers.)

Anyway, what are the Alessandro MS1s best suited for? Also, do they require a dedicated amp? I've read different things from various sources.

Could also go for the Koss Portapros from Amazon for $35 if the Alessandros won't make a big difference...

...as I can't tell a different difference...

I'll report back when I've tried them out properly tomorrow although I don'ta have any experience with the Portapros and I'll be listening to CD's and Vinyl through a decent enough all Rega set up. I bought a headphone amplifer due to my Amp having no headphone out although I'm sure I've read somewhere that the Allesandro's should be fine unamped.

I've got a pair of PortaPro's and use them pretty regularly. A little conscious of the tacky 80s design at first but that's really the only fault I can find w/ them. Bass is amazingly crisp, tho there was one instance in listening to Massive Attack that I found that they sorta over-rode the vocals... then again, maybe it's just b/c I had been listening to the band for years on Sony MD180's (cheapies).

they def can get loud tho, love that about them

Also, along w/ the headphones question-- can anyone recommend a pretty good, dedicated, home-use CD player that pairs well with nice headphones like the Alessandro, Grado, etc.? Figure I could probably use one...

I can't tell the difference between CDs and 192 VBR but I sure as heck can hear a 128 MP3 - just listen for splashy cymbals! I bet the higher-end headphones will reveal the differences to you immediately.

I've had Portapros since that 80s decide was current - great headphones for the money but I was always snagging a chord and ripping it out so I switched to Koss KSC-35 which is the same as the Portapros but they're clip-ons. I like them more than my Grado SR60s.

I can't tell the difference between CDs and 192 VBR but I sure as heck can hear a 128 MP3 - just listen for splashy cymbals!

I've heard something about 128 AAC being similar quality to 160/192 mp3 but that may be BS -- anyone know?

Alessandro MS1s get a lot of praise on head-fi

MS1s seemed too bright for my taste but a lot of people swear by them.
Got the B&W P5s last week - satisfied so far

they're okay, but like all grados they have a v. narrow soundstage

Sick Mouthy, I forget if yr an Apple guy: if so, curious how the Alessandro MS-1 performs when plugged straight into a Mac headphone jack. Figure it should work fine with a dedicated CD player... curious about a laptop.

If anyone else can testify to this (or something similar, maybe the Grado SR-80), please chime in!

I have a pair of SR-60s and if comfort is a big deal for you, you shouldn't buy them. I'm happy with the sound but they are not the most comfortable headphones in the world, especially when used for long periods of time.

rather, I have the SR-80.

no dice, laptops have the shittiest soundcards ever (even macs)

Right, but that'll be the case regardless of which headphones I use. So, really, I'm just looking for something decent to pair with the stock (shitty?) soundcard in my laptop, among other uses.

does not compute, any headphone is gonna sound shitty with your laptop soundcard

your best bet is to save 1-200 dollars and buy a nice usb dac + amp, if you want nice sound from your laptop (but that means you'd probably have to rerip everything you own into a better, higher quality format)

Not gonna happen with 3,000+ discs right now, unfortunately. But I have the CDs as well, so can play those for HQ format -- no need to re-rip for right now, at least.

this is why you do it right the first time

mr. dayo, what's the threshold at which it makes sense to go to outboard DAC? like if i listen to mostly v0 mp3s does it matter.

it makes sense regardless of your mp3 quality level imo. the soundcard in your laptop is 1. some 5 cent onboard chosen for cost savings x scales of production, it's not designed to output quality sound. plus, the internals of a laptop are just about the noisiest electronic environments possible. try plugging in a low impedance headphone in to your jack, and just listen to the hiss.

an outboard DAC moves the entire processing out of the computer, into a (hopefully) well-designed and well shielded circuit. bonus if your outboard DAC feeds the signal straight into an amp. I use an ibasso d4, it has two DACs, one for each stereo channel, also runs completely off USB power. I love it.

thanks

over here in HK I see a lot of cheap usb DACs now - I think that that market is 'opening up'. really, just about anything will be an improvement - you don't need to spend big bucks (unless you're a gearhead)

this is why you do it right the first time

i started in 1999 or something :( didn't know shit, stuck w/ it

Ok so I had a chance to immerse myself in my new Allesandro headphones coupled with the Rega Ear yesterday. As some folks have mentioned the Allesandro's so seem to have a fairly limited soundstage but they do have a good punch to them. I listened to Mines by Menomena first which sounded great but didn't really blow me away. I kept spinning random tunes to get a feel of the sound til I eventually ended up listening to Future Day's by Can which sounded immense.

I didn't dig the bowls that came with the headphones at all and ended up making some DIY cups out of an old pair of long dead headphones I had kicking about which I found much more comfortable.

Will give a more detailed listen and the weekend and report back again.

I've had my AKG K701s for over 6 years now. Over time I've read reviews saying they're best suited for acoustic jazz and classical, with not a lot of bass. I really like them for movies, actually, great soundstage. So I'm keeping them in the living room, and got a used pair of Denon AH-D2000 to use in the office. I have a NAS server with my 8,000+ album collection in flac, with a Meier Audio Corda Cantate.2 amp. Lots of rave reviews of Denon's low-end capabilities, very suited for rock music, and I agree. I already have the AH-D1000 in the bedroom, which are super comfortable and smaller so it's easier to wear while lying against a pillow. Highly recommend both.

I ended up ordering Audio Technica ATH-M50 Professional Closed-Back Studio Headphones

hope they're alright ;_;

Whenever I compare hps the akg 701s are always the ones I come back to but when I use them at home I usually find them kinda boring. Nit sure what it says about me or what I expect from hps

I actually bought Audio Technica ATH-M50 last year to use at work. I think sq is slightly stronger than the Denon AH-D1000. It took some getting used to as they are heavier than even the large AKG K701, and grip my head much tighter. But pretty ideal at work when I tend to only listen for 30-60 minutes before I have to interact with people or focus on something and switch to speakers at low level.

I think sq is slightly stronger than the Denon AH-D1000.

sq?

IlXor; only just seen yr question - I am a Mac guy, yes, but have never plugged my MS1s straight in; they have a big jack so don't fit, and I run them out of a DAC which sits in-between the iMac.

Anyone have a recommendation for a decent portable headphone amp I can use with an iPod Classic? I was thinking maybe around the £200 mark?

portable headphone amps are more hassle than they're worth imo

sq = sound quality. I use portable amps at work (Practical Devices XM5 DAC/amp) and in my bedroom (iBasso D10 Cobra DAC/amp) but yeah, don't do music "on-the-go" enough to make it worth lugging an amp around.

I was reticent to spring for a headphone amp for all the obvious reasons, but this little wonder really does the trick:

http://www.digizoid.com/

It really adds low-end while punching up the sound across the board. You can control how much bass it adds but even on low settings (which is where I keep mine) it really makes a difference out of an iPod Classic. It's really lightweight and not a hassle at all!

Listening to Lindstrom and Christabelle on my new Grado SR80is connected to M-Audio USB Audiophile.

damn

hooooooooly shit ATH-M50

everyone buy these headphones right fucking now

One cool thing about Grado's, is how you can use your fingers to feel what is the left or the right side by the "L" or "R" on the part right above the ear pads.

hey AKG owners

is it possible for me to order a new connection cord? mine is seriously on the fritz (barely any movement/touching of the end will take the sound out of one of the ears & also the tip of the piece is getting stuck in the headphone jack of my computer pretty often)

which AKG do you have?

K240

idk why i was being a tuomas -- i see them for sale online on third party sites -- guess i could check my warranty tho

yah most AKGs have detachable and replaceable cords. btw if youre using your computer to drive your headphones, youre not taking the full advantage of em. AKGs are pretty hard to drive in general. you should consider getting an external DAC/amp, like

http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/iconudac2/index.php

or

http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=44

yeah i don't have an ipod or stereo or anything so i'll def look into it -- do the amps come cheaper than like $100 or is that p much what you're looking at

idk I haven't kept up with that scene in a while, I just remember the nuforce udac-2 was recommended as a really good entry level one. it's probably the best intersection between price and quality. if you don't like it you could always sell it on the second-hand markets at one of those headphone forums. but I figure if you listen to music a lot then they are good investments. free shipping if you buy from amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/NuForce-Icon-uDAC-2-Black-Headphone/dp/B003Y5FRNS

does anyone have experience with Fiio DACs? I wouldn't mind finding something relatively portable for plane/train rides. This one looks pretty tempting:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-DAC-Amplifier/dp/B003N0XDT4/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300437873&sr=8-1-fkmr0

nah but I think they have okay reputations? I find the built-in amp of my iphone to be more than enough for my IEMs, but ymmv with larger cans

well I wouldn't wanna be carrying a pre-amp along with my iphone everyday but I'm thinking that it could add something on longer rides or at home to my B&W P5s and partic to my AKG 701s

might be good for B&W P5s. K701s generally need more juice than portables can provide

actually I'm talking nonsense - it's the AKG 240s that I own. I've always found them boring unspectacular - wouldn't mind trading them for those sexy AiAiAi TMA-1

lol my friend linked me to those - looked like they ripped off the sennheiser hd-25s wholesale. but if they sound good...

yeah - they do come across as a bit gimmicky - but the freaks at head-fi.org are for once pretty unanimous in their praise

hooooooooly shit ATH-M50

everyone buy these headphones right fucking now

Cool. Whether you find 'em used for under $100 or new for $150, they seem to be the best value for that price range. I got a used pair of Denon AH-D2000 for home, and their sound only barely beats out the Audio Technica ATH-M50, despite costing nearly twice as much new.

they are new at B&H Photo online for $119 shipped, no tax

Koss lifetime warranty is totally solid.... my portapros randomly went dead in one ear-piece, so I mailed them back with $5bucks and got a new pair within 4days.

Still wish I never had to spend that $5 in the first place, but it's nice knowing that it's something I can do whenever my phones randomly die in one side, as they all seem prone to do.

These are supposed to be great reasonable cables: Neglex Quad Microphone Cables W2534 W2893
I see them for sale at proaudiola.com. There might be other places.

If you don't want to spend $119 on ATH-M50s - which are awesome headphones - you could get Superlux HD668Bs for $59 from here. When I bought them they were $49 and before that they were going for $39. They might be the best headphones for the $0-$100 price range (and there is even a little room for improvement in modding them). These phones keep getting bought out everywhere so it's nice that there is some available in America right now.

a bit of a technical question - if I plug a portable amp into the line out dock of an iPhone, would I lose the ability to answer calls? and would the mic and remote control of my headphones still work?

So I guess I'm moving overseas, but not (as of yet) long enough to bother shipping/rebuying speakers, so I might get something more home-listening friendly than my MDR v700s, which I pretty much just use for DJing (which I sadly won't be able to do there ;_;).

I'm looking for something lightweight and comfortable, lets in as little outside sound as possible, and, importantly, is easy on the ears (mine are sensitive and need something not exhausting, also meaning in ear stuff is no thanks), and is under $300, preferably under $200.

I saw that Bose around the ear headphones, for about $120 CAD (which is not bad), and these seem to fit my criteria pretty well. But I have no idea how they sound. I also thought this might be a time to finally get Grado's? (I see SR125s for $180, and SR80s for $130)

Thanks.

grados fail massively in at least two of your criteria

actually three

Those first two, I'm guessing, are sound insulation (I'm aware of their notorious lack of) and comfort? They definitely do seem clunky, and from what I've experienced, awkward to wear.

http://www.amazon.com/Bose-41215-On%252dEar-Headphones/dp/B000HWRBG2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242001493&sr=8-7

Bose on-ear. Paid like $189--link is cheaper--at Best Buy 2 1/2 years ago. Best I've ever had.

― Matos W.K., Sunday, May 10, 2009 7:26 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

See this is intriguing. Anyone know how the On the Ears are different from the Around the Ears, other than the obvious part, that the former is more expensive, and also lets you to change wires (which is definitely a plus)?

they are also very fatiguing to listen to (very bright)

sensitive ears, is that in the physical sense?

I meant it in the aural sense, but I guess physical concerns are there too (having headphones that pin your ears back, making it painful to use them for more than a few hours isn't fun).

I've never had comfort issues with Grados that have the donut pads.

i wanted some headphones to tide me over until my third goddam set of portapros arrives & bought some sennheiser earbuds (CX300s, HMV is i. still stocking them and ii. for kind of cheap). they're fuckin' loud. i mean, they may actually make me stop listening to stuff at maximum volume. i have never owned anything with 16 ohms impedance before. did they start doing this after apple applied volume limiting to ipods or what

first world problems, etc.

I've come to the conclusion that the best headphone strategy is

10 buy two pairs of portapros
20 put one of them in the back of a drawer
30 listen to the other pair and feel awesome
40 when that pair breaks, send them to koss for a free refund
50 try to remember which drawer your backup pair is in
60 goto 30

wait wait you can do the free refund bit in the uk??

http://www.hama.co.uk/service/contact/index.hsp

01256 374700

well, i know what i'm doing when the next pair break. ty

actually not a refund, they send you back a fixed (or new) pair

That was my strategy with Koss for years and years, worked really well. I wish they'd come out with something better but why mess with success?

it is really weird. i guess upping the gauge of wire that feeds into the jack would cost major dollars or something. who knows.

So, does anyone else have experience with either the Bose On-Ear or Around-the-Ear headphones? If so, how are they (or do they compare) for sound/extended wear/outside noise, etc.

The former seemed noticeably better at the store, but I suspect they jimmied with the audio settings to make the expensive pair sound better. I also can't help but be suspicious of Bose as a kid of layman's audiophile headphone, but they did sound pretty good/feel comfortable.

Thanks again.

no highs, no lows? must be bose

Yah just stay clear of Bose unless they are given to you as a gift. Even then, sell em and get something better for half the price.

Got it, thanks.

Anything in particular someone would recommend in their place, then?

ehhh Bose have a pretty bad rep among audiophiles for 1. being 'overpriced and 2. coloring their sound. they gussy up the midrange to tap int your reptile brain. but all major headphone companies have a 'signature' sound (aka colored sound) so it's really just a matter of what you prefer. if bose makes you happy, go for it.

and uh with how much quality headphones cost nowadays I'm not sure if bose can still be considered overpriced

i got these a few months ago & no complaints, love them

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/477843-REG/Audio_Technica_ATH_M50_ATH_M50_Professional_Closed_Back_Studio.html

I recommend the ATH-M50s to everyone, even though I haven't tested them. There's too many good reviews to pass them up

they are incredible

Have you tried the B&W P5?

I like these Sennheisers:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-PX-200-II-Foldable-Headphone/dp/B002VPDOHS

What's the requesters budget? The Senn HD-25 II's are one of the top portable headphones you can buy, but they run alot more than the PX-200's.

I'm looking for something lightweight and comfortable, lets in as little outside sound as possible, and, importantly, is easy on the ears (mine are sensitive and need something not exhausting, also meaning in ear stuff is no thanks), and is under $300, preferably under $200.

The Denon AH-D1100 perfectly fits that criteria. I keep my D1000 on my nightstand, as they are small enough that I can wear while laying against pillows, but still seal over the ears as to not bother my sleeping wife. They're the most comfortable headphones I've ever had, often doze off with them on. The D1000 is discontinued, but a used pair is available for $99. It was replaced by the D1100, available for http://www.headphone.com/headphones/denon-ah-d1100.php69 (and open box available for $109).

One reason headphones cause audio fatigue is that they can't normally simulate how you normally hear things, so your brain has to adjust to it. There are amps with a crossfeed feature that address that, and seem to help. My Practical Devices XM5 has that feature.

koss portapro

― elan, Sunday, May 10, 2009 7:17 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

More on crossfeed - http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/crossfeed.htm

The Senn HD-25 II's are one of the top portable headphones you can buy, but they run alot more than the PX-200's.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, May 26, 2011 3:45 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

HD-25 II's are also pretty uncomfortable

Yes, I tried on a pair and they sounded really excellent, but, no, not comfortable, and not great w/r/t outside noise.

Think I'm going to try a pair of those Audio Technica M50s to see how they are. Otherwise I might also try out some other Sennhisers?

Thanks for everyone's input.

Looking for some sub-$50 earbuds for commuting/ipod. Had the $25 Skullcandy titans, but they just died.

I talk about the Audio Technica M50s upthread, and they are NOT the most comfortable either. I use them at work and are fine for 30 min to an hour, but then start to feel pretty tight and heavy. So for your criteria I'd still recommend the Denon AH-D1100. The upgrade from my D1000 is slightly larger to improve sq and range, but from what I read are still super comfortable. I never felt the sound is lacking in the D1000, but the M50s have an edge in that regard. The D1100 probably closes that gap.

HeadRoom gives pretty good descriptions: http://www.headphone.com/selection-guide/top-picks/10-best-headphones.php

From what I've read about the D1100, they have considerably beefed-up bass compared to the D1001. Some even say it's a bit overpowering, but that their sound balances out as they wear in.

The D1001s are definitely super-light and comfy though, and if the D1100 continues in that regard, you'll be very happy with them.

under-$50 earbuds: i have some sennheiser cx-200s and they are p reliable & comfortable and sound good to me?

Those models of Denon and Audio Technica all are known for good bass, which is why I like them for rock and reggae. The bass on the D1001/D1000 is incredible considering the small size of the headphones. I also have the AKG K701, which are better suited for movies, acoustic, jazz and classical. I've sampled upper end Sennheisers and thought they were also similar to AKG in that way.

I sent links via PM to open box deal on the M50 for $119 and AH-D1000 for $99.

Got it, thanks.

This is maybe a stupid question, but regarding the Audio Technica M50's, is there any difference between THESE and THESE.

I mean different colour and different price, but they're otherwise identical, right?

yeah - I'd go with the first link though, as that one's fulfilled by amazon and will be much easier to deal with in case of returns/etc

Ahh didn't realize it was different sellers. Thanks.

Klipsch S4 image

portapros just broke twice on me, getting a little peeved. same problem as last time, tambien - one ear just goes dead.

could be the jack end. you can easily chop it and fix a new one on, this happens to me all the time from having iphone in pocket plugged in.

been looking for a 1/8" jack end which fits flush to an ipod/iphone, they must exist

How do Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's feel for extended periods of time? I've decided that soundwise, they can't be beat, but I'm afraid they'll be painful to wear (pinning back my ears), and they'll let in too much ambient sound.

At this point I'm debating those or Audio Technica M50's, so if anyone wants to really sway me either way...

Just ordered the M50s after trying them out at a Guitar Center and reading a ton of reviews/recommendations. Right up my alley with a fair amount of lows and highs. I compared them to the Shure 840s and a few other ones they had there at a similar price point, wasn't really even a contest as far as my tastes go.

Crackle Box - how exactly do you do that? I think it's the jack as well as sometimes rotating it within the socket will enable sound... until I put my mp3 player in my pocket, shit rubs, and the headphones are rendered useless.

So not only do ATH-M50s sound amazing, they were also on sale, and I got a $20 gift card for buying them (which I guess I'll put to this, which I'm hoping will improve my laptop's horrible and distorted sound? or am I in the wrong ballpark altogether?).

Thanks again for tips!

I somehow resisted buying headphones when I was at Moog Audio in Montreal, but now I'm wishing I did. They had some awesome sale going on...

I do like the sound of the Portapros, in a quiet environment, but the open design is killing my ears since I usually listen on the subway and have to crank the sound more than I like in order to hear... Not their fault, but I think I'm going to have to switch back to something sealed soon. Damn.

xposts

sounds like it is the jack end then

maplin or radioshack will sell replacement ones. super easy to wire up. just google how to replace headphone jack.

just had my third pair of Porta Pros fail because of the Jack.

not going to replace, just going to try and fit a better jack plug.

great headphones - 3 month lifetime.

I'd pay more for the same headphones with a better quality cable&jack.

seems weird that this is where Koss are trying to cut quality.

these are incredible, i use em for close listening/editing/mixing. very comfortable, best sound i've ever heard from headphones in any price range and any style

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4.html

they do some for under £100 too....

Grado SR-60s are great. I use them with the SR-80 foam pads (trick of the trade).

I have gotten accustomed to the pain and can now wear them all day with only minor irritation.

I'm an avid Porta Pro user (for listening while out and about). My main problem has been one of the channels going, seems to happen after 6 months or so. I'm not very delicate putting them away mind you. Despite that I can't fault them, great sound at the price. I'm sure they come with a lifetime guarantee, although it would probably cost more than they are new to send them back to Koss.

I picked up a pair of Allesandro Ms1's on the basis of reccomendations and the fact they are really just Grado's a few years back. I haven't done much headphone listening over the past few years but I put them on recently and found them really harsh and fatiguing.

Yeah? Alessandro MS1s are some of my favourites - I much, much preferred them to Grado SR60s.

If you are a person who likes earbud-style headphones at all, I'd recommend getting some Comply foam tips that fit them.

Wrote about my recent addition for dedicated doom listening! http://fastnbulbous.com/cans-of-doom/ ‎

Thanks f&b! Your endorsment fo the DT770 (by the way surprised you didn't pick up on the Beyer reference in Sunn's logo ;-) has led me down the rabbit hole of headphone hunting and I've now convinced myself I need yet another pair (even though I hardly ever listen to music since having a baby and driving to work). I was tempted to get the low impedance DT770s but now I've discovered Beyerdynamic's Custom One Pro, which seem extremely tempting. Has anyone tried them out?

anything particularly good out there right now for in-ear headphones? i've been through a few pairs of sennheiser cx200s at this point, they sound good but they give out in one ear after half a year or so just like all other earbuds i've ever had. decided to try for something else now in case there's anything out that that actually lasts longer.

I actually think the more recent design iPhone earbuds sound surprisingly good. No idea what lasts longer, generally don't like earbuds.

I stopped using in-ears a while ago (also Sennheisers) but there are good write-ups/recommendations for under $30 options here and $30-$100 options here.

FWIW I was just in the Apple Store and trying out some of the mid-high-end headphones they sell including the beats shit and the B&W models, and I kind of thought none of them sounded very impressive. Wondered if it was just a case of low quality mp3s or something, but you'd think the Apple Store would know better than to do that.

I assume all the files on those ipods are itunes plus file from the store so should be no issue qualities there

I think the B&W's might have been P5's? Are they well-regarded? I really felt like there was nothing particularly compelling about their sound.

Actually the first review here describes my impression:
http://www.amazon.com/ss/customer-reviews/B00GT36MGI/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_three?_encoding=UTF8&filterBy=addThreeStar&ref_=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_three&showViewpoints=0

The most obvious impression is that these phones are missing in the high end. There is a distinct lack of detail (compared to other phones I have). The cymbals don't have that sizzle. Musical elements seemed oddly isolated from each other. It was as if I couldn't hear the air between the notes.

I noticed that exact same "isolation" effect.

Probably? Not sure

Apple stores in NYC are very poor places to judge sound imo, too noisy

I do think though that the iPhone sound output is very good - it's much better than the shit audio outs on their laptops and desktops

When your earbuds short in one ear or at the jack, send them back to the manufacturer. They generally have a 2yr warranty and will replace with minimum hassle. I've been using the Klipsch Rugged S4? or something. The remote is a little big but I like them. Woot regularly sells them for ~$30.

my shure se215's have held up for several years now, not the most perfect in-ears i have used sound-wise but still fully satisfactory, and certainly the most reliable headphones i have had in like the past 10+ years.

detachable cords for the inevitable short, too.

Shure's have really thick and durable wires imo

the trick of getting the tips lodged in your ears is not for everyone, and it may be that some experimentation with different ones, or different materials, helps. i manage fine with the largest size and occasionally have to tweak them to keep a good seal for the fullest sound.

Do you use the foam or the rubber tips

Do you use just the tip

buy some comply foam tips imo

I use the rubber tips on mine and they work great. Haven't used any foam tips that I like yet. These shipped with foam as well but they were too big.

skullcandy titans are def not reference quality, but mine have lasted > 1 year with daily use

it is also easy to remove the little skulls from the backs

i use rubber tips, maybe those were the only thing in my size the shures came with, but i have generally found them better than foam in the long run; sometimes foam is nicer but it loses too much resilience

whoa man, take those pro modding tips to the enthusiast forums xp

it's a pretty cool hack

it's v similar to my sew-sleeves-onto-a-sleeveless-hoodie hack

i'm a big fan of monoprice in general, i'd totally give these a shot. i have an older model of monoprice earbuds that they don't sell anymore that have been great...for the money why not?

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082709&p_id=12235&seq=1&format=2

I do think though that the iPhone sound output is very good - it's much better than the shit audio outs on their laptops and desktops

― 龜, Wednesday, November 5, 2014 9:36 AM (12 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah, this is otm.
On a (somewhat) similar tangent, how much does shitty laptop i/o hardware effect sound quality when the signal is routed to a stereo receiver? Is the shit signal coming out of the laptop too fucked for the receiver to provide much improvement? i know that those "class c" amps supposedly do all kinds of freaky "cleaning" manoeuvres on input signals, getting rid of transients and odd ordered distortion and stuff.

Get a receiver that does digital and use your laptop's hdmi/displayport port to connect it. I've connected my laptop that way (displayport to hdmi adapter) and the audio decoding happens at the other end.

YEah the answer is digital out. Macbooks used to output digital over TOSlink/optical not sure if they still do

If your receiver has a USB input that would work too

or airplay! you could get an airplay thingy or appletv and then the decoding is done right before going into your receiver

Airplay might compress or transcode it I"m not familiar with the specs

You'd also then be tied to the DAC output of the airplay device

they all have optical or digital out though

it works great shut your mouth

The AirTunes part of the AirPlay protocol stack uses UDP for streaming audio and is based on the RTSP network control protocol.[12] The streams are transcoded using the Apple Lossless codec with 44100 Hz and 2 channels encrypted with AES, requiring the receiver to have access to the appropriate private key to decrypt the streams.[13] The stream is buffered for approximately 2 seconds before playback begins, resulting in a small delay before audio is output after starting an AirPlay stream.[14]

The protocol supports metadata packets that determine the final output volume on the receiving end. This makes it possible to always send audio data unprocessed at its original full volume, preventing sound quality deterioriaton due to reduction in bit depth and thus sound quality which would otherwise occur if changes in volume were made to the source stream before transmitting. It also makes possible the streaming of one source to multiple targets each with its own volume control.[15]

Its' all good

yeah!!

main complaint with airtunes seems to be frequent loss of connection, but that may be fixed now

I never have that issue

Thanks guys

these threads need some guy re-summarizing the takeaway points every 200 posts

ok, I need a rec here, just accidentally snapped my (kinda crappy) pair of Sony MDR-NC7s

I have a pair of Grado SR80s and they sound awesome but I can't really wear them all day. After 30 minutes my ears start to hurt, they're just too heavy for me. Furthermore the sound kinda leaks out of them which isn't ideal for work. Willing to spend, I dunno, like $80 or so?

Yeah, Grados leak like crazy. You want closed headphones for work. If that's a strict budget check out Beyerdynamic DTX 350p. They fit on the ear like your Grados but have a closed design. At little over your budget but with a bit more robust build quality and over-ear (rather than on-ear) fit check out Audio-Technica ATH-M40x.

yeah those look good but honestly I'm more concerned with the headphone weight. it doesn't say how heavy they are, but the shipping weight of 2.2 lbs is concerning. like I said those Grados just crush my ears, I can't even listen to a full album without feeling uncomfortable. I was thinking something like this but I'm worried the sound isn't as good:

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-100-II-Ear-Miniheadphone-Black/dp/B002VPDOH8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428422684&sr=8-1&keywords=Sennheiser+PX+100-II+On+Ear+Miniheadphone

audio-technicas look heavy but sit pretty lightly on my head

is it actually the weight or the clamping action that is getting to you?

Yeah, I don't think the weight is necessarily the problem. I used to have Sennheiser HD25s, and I had similar issues as you, after using them for a couple of hours they started hurting my ears, they were pressing them so hard. (I have a fairly large head, which made the clasp even tighter.) Then I bought a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770s, which are pretty heavy headphones, about twice as heavy as my Sennheisers, but because their frame is so sturdy and well designed, and because the cushions are so big and comfy, the clasp is actually much lighter, so I can use them for hours without my ears getting sore.

Sony's made the MDR-V6 for 30 years for a reason. Comfortable, closed, fold into a desk drawer, very accurate (the lack of coloration is often considered a flaw by some listeners).

is it actually the weight or the clamping action that is getting to you?

um. I guess I don't really know. I do have a big head. I can't even wear a hat, for instance

Grados are pretty light, so yeah, it's probably the clamping, not the weight, that's causing discomfort. Those Sennheisers you linked are open-style headphones, so they'll leak sound like the Grados. You might be more comfortable with over-ears anyway rather than on-ears; that way the pressure is more spread out rather than concentrated on your ear. Anywhere near you where you can try headphones on? Guitar Center usually has Audio-Technica and I'd think they'd have the Sonys mentioned above too (or probably the very-similar 7506). The V6/7506 can usually be had for around $85 but there seems to be a bit of a supply shortage at the moment and they're going for over $100. Will probably come back down when Sony re-supplies.

If you get a set with a metal headband (I think the A-T and Sony are both metal) you can usually stretch them a bit for more comfort on larger heads. Some people like to replace the stock ear pads which are pleather on most over-ear headphones with velour pads which you can find on Amazon or eBay.

Have you considered in-ears? That'd eliminate clamping, but some people don't find them comfortable for other reasons.

I have some cheap in-ears, they're fine for working out but otherwise I don't really like them, like I tend to find the good ones really amplify all the noise going on within you. I had a decent pair and every time I moved I heard a loud rustling, really annoying and I dunno how to fix it.

a lot of the really big over-ear ones just kind of sit on the top of your head instead of clamping your ears

Does anyone have a decent workout earbud recommendation for under $50? I tried some skullcandy something-or-others and they sounded like absolute garbage, plus they didn't really stay all the way in my ears, in spite of having the over-ear clip.

I actually think the apple iphone earbuds sound fairly good, but they slip out -- is there an option of some kind of cover/adapter thingy that will hold them in without losing sound quality, or is there something else worth getting?

For keeping them in my ear, I've had the best luck with putting shure triple flange tips on my (decidedly non-shure) earbuds. I've managed to stretch them onto both Philips and Monoprice earbuds successfully. Comply foam earbud tips work pretty well too but they go 'stale' after a month or so.

I don't think either of those tip types would fit on the iphone earbud though. Apple makes a tip especially for that shape iirc.

I brought up headphones in the metal poll and figured I'd expand here. I know a lot of people who want to graduate from stock iPhone buds to full size headphones but don't want to spend much money. My recommendation in the past few years has been the Creative Aurvana Live!, available for $57. A half dozen friends and colleagues have gotten them and have been very happy.

They were designed by Foster, the Japanese company that owns Fostex, and were initially used for the Denon AH-D1001 headphones that originally sold for $150. I own those and use them in the bedroom, and are now discontinued. They are closed headphones, and some say the seal isn't perfect (blocking out outside noise, keeping headphones from leaking). They must play them at ear-damaging volume, because I use mine regularly and my partner can be sleeping (or awake) right next to me in bed and not hear anything. The most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. They are smaller than average full-size (more in line with other portables like NAD Viso HP50, Sennheiser Momentum, etc).

I should be getting my new Fostex TH-X00 via Massdrop later today. Their release last week inspired me to write about what I'd been using the past couple years:

http://fastnbulbous.com/metal-cans-for-the-holidaze-fostex-th-x00/

I've been using these for several years and have been pretty satisfied: http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/7041339ec2fdcc12/

finally got a pair of Sennheiser HD598SEs for $95 on cyber monday, and they are pretty great

AKG 240s have been on sale for $70, I just got some and like them quite a bit

I recall that 240s are very comfy

I had the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 for a few years. They sounded good, and are extremely well built, but their vice-like grip was too uncomfortable for me, and I ended up selling them. Sennheiser and AKG all make great stuff, it's all a matter of what king of tuning you prefer. So far the Fostex designed D1001/Aurvana Live beat out any other headphone I've heard for under $200.

I got a pair of Sennheiser HD-598s recently too (mine were about $150, I must have missed the sale) and they're awesome. A little more bass than my Sennheiser HD-439s, and surprisingly not as hot on the ears after extended use-- surprising because the ear cups are friggin' velour.

I also have some Polk Ultrafit 1000s for running, which sound good enough that I switch to them if I'm listening on my phone and my ears get too hot from the 439s. I had Polk Ultrafit 500s before that, but I had trouble with one channel cutting out on them. I had the first (defective) pair replaced for free, no questions asked, so +1 for their customer service. I lost the replacement pair, and for the price difference the 1000s seemed like the better deal, they were only $10 more than the 500s and they're on-ear-- I've never been a huge fan of earbuds.

In the US, amazon seems to mark them down by ~$50 for one day of the Thanksgiving weekend every year (I say 'seems to' because I only have 2 data points). I think it was the Friday after Thanksgiving this year. I've had the HD-280 Pros for around 10 years, so I hope these are as sturdy. The detachable cable is nice, but then again the HD-280s have the only headphone cable I own that didn't fail after ~2 years.

I recall that 240s are very comfy
They are indeed, and self-adjusting to boot.

Wow, and the 240s are currently selling for $56 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001ARCFA?keywords=AKG%20240&qid=1449768287&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

I never tried Porta Pro until the middle of this year and I'm totally stuck on them, just fantastic for everything and not painful to wear several hours in a row (Grado is my favorite sound signature but yeah they hurt)

I had porta pros for all of undergrad and my only complaint is the band pulls your hair out

fyi for anyone who wants some cheap earphones https://www.wired.com/2017/01/review-kz-ate-hi-fi-earphones/?mbid=synd_digg

^ sounds impressive.

I've been using Soundmagic ES18s as low cost semi-decent in ear phones. Not amazing but better than anything else I'd come across for around £10. When I'm walking around I'm usually not that focussed on sound quality as long as it's not totally awful.

Superlux HD668Bs still sound great for the price (£24 from Thomann.de). Up there with ~£100 models like DT770s IMO. They just look very daft.

got the Kz ATE headphones and can confirm they are a steal, great great value

there's like 20 versions on amazon, which ones did you get?

I actually got them 2nd hand but this model https://www.amazon.com/Earphone-Headphones-Running-Eartips-Microphone/dp/B00Y0F6IBG

Grados are the best by far but you kind of look like a dork using them.

Beyerdynamic and AudioTechnica are the best I've used the range of $100/$200.

I'm too cheap to buy headphones over $200.

PS: unless you have superhuman ear or are extremely picky about certain qualities and specification in sound, mostly every headphones in the range of $150 are awesome and more than what you need.

It's the emperor's new clothes. Think of them as bottles of whiskey. Any blend or single malt of 12 years will be good, almost noone tells the difference after that. I've fooled snobbish friends into drinking Chivas 12 and even red label and told them it's Chivas 18 or 21 by flling old bottles of 18/21 (I don't usually do this, it was a social experiment) They start saying "now this is a fine whiskey" and I'm silently laughing about it.

well I don't think many ilxors need convincing of that

this is however the first time I've come across a pair of in-ear headphones of such a quality for less than 100$

I love my Beyerdyamic DT 770s...however, I just had to send them back because the left driver went out....previously I'd sent a pair back to Amazon (in the first month) because the headband became detatched from an ear cup (this was in the Amazon return window)

to their credit they are repairing it for free (though I had to drop $20 on shipping)...but a little concerned their QC is slipping

that said, for office use, they are tremendous at blocking out noise (frankly work as good as any noise canceling ones i've heard), sound great and are extremely comfortable

That's really strange, DT 770 Pro? Those are built like a tank, I felt like I could run mine over with the car and they'd be fine. Now that there are many newer models out, like the DT 1770 Pro and 1990 Pro (open, which is what I have now), you can get such great deals on those, around $115 to 135. Definitely a great deal, and all parts are replaceable in the pro versions. The 250 ohm version is ideal with an amp, but can be used without one.

You definitely can get better headphones than ever for right at $200, especially when Massdrop offered the Sennheiser HD 6XX at that price. And currently Massdrop has the AKG K7XX also for $200. Both of those open headphones were flagships that sold for much more about a decade ago. I still use my K701 for movies in the living room when my S.O. goes to bed early. People are really into the Meze 99 Classic, and the 99 Neo, basically same headphone without the wood cups for $60 cheaper at $249 is shipping soon. I heard it at Axpona and it does compare really well against headphones twice it's price. It's closed and has iPhone controls/mic on cord like many portable-friendly headphones do.

So one can argue $200 as the diminishing returns drop-off. There's varying opinions in the hobby, but I would move that point to more like $700. Which is exactly what the MrSpeakers Aeon cost. I heard it at Axpona too, and was very impressed. It outperforms anything I'd heard in that range. My pre-order arrives soon.

I'm on board the KZ hype train. ATE, ATR and ZS3 are all really good. ATR is more mid focused and has a spherical soundstage, ZS3 has clean and massive bass along with crisp mids and highs. I use those the most. Detachable cable is also nice.

I've really loved my Sennheiser Momentum 2.0s (now called "HD1" apparently) for the last year. Closed, over-ear, really great balanced sound when wired and frankly about indistinguishable over a solid Bluetooth 4.0 AptX (non-iPhone) connection, very durable, light but solid, and to my taste a very attractive refinement of classic 60s aesthetics while being all-day comfortable.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/img/9673/product_detail_x1_desktop_square_louped_HD_1_BT_AE_ivory-sq-01-sennheiser.jpg

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/hd1-wireless-headphones-with-mic

I paid more like $350 than the $500 list, but given they'l last me at least a decade (based on previous Sennheisers I've had), that seems reasonable. I used Etymotic ER4P in-ears for years, but started having issues with ear infections and have switched back to over-ears.

I've got a pair of on-ear wireless Senn's (450-x) and love them. Looking forward to their next gen BT5 models.

for on-ear I've got the Bose QuietComfort and while the sound is not remarkable (it's just fine) the noise cancelling is fantastic, esp since I mostly use them on the road

thx for the kz recommendation, niels - got a pair over the weekend to replace a pair of rha's which fell apart, and the kz's are fantastic value for money

the memory foam tips ended up nearly lodging in my ear canal when i first put them in, though, which was a bit alarming - replaced them with the rubber ones from my old rha's though and they work great

GRADOs >>>>>>>>> everything. Also, per the dork comment back there, if you get the RS1s or any of them that incorporate wood into the mix, your dorkiness becomes very artisanal with a side of avocado toast.

GRADOs >>>>>>>>> everything

otm i just wish there was one that I could wear for more than a couple hours comfortably

Yeah, it's weird after all these years Grado's still look and feel like they were made in a garage, with the possible exception of their $2,695 PS2000e.

There's 5 days left on the AKG K553 Pro drop, for $110. A great deal for those wanting a closed headphone. 11 days left on the Massdrop x Fostex T-X0 Planar for $150.

KZ ZS3 are so uncomfortable : /

i'm looking for a good pair of over-ear phones. i've been using the same pair of sennheiser hd280s for years but i'm not that crazy about em. they're sturdy as hell but not super comfortable, kind of heavy. i'm not nuts about how they sound, the mids and highs seem harsh to me.

I bought my Grado SR60 headphones back in 2007 and they're still going strong. They're dorky as hell but the sound is awesome. And "only" $79.00.

HiFiMAN marked down their HE400i Planar from $449 to $249. I'm guessing they're clearing stock to get ready for a new model.

Also the Sennheiser HD 6XX drop starts Monday. Last time it sold out in a few minutes, so they figured they might as well up the price to $249 (it's around $315 in general market).
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

Last 8 hrs of drop, priced dropped to $199.

I've been enjoying the used HifiMAN HE-6 I got a couple weeks ago, the best magnetic planar headphone I've had so far, including the Audeze LCD-2.2. Today a new collaboration with Massdrop was released, the HE4XX. At $170, a no-brainer, as nothing else in that price range comes close. Closest might be the Monoprice Monolith M1060 for $300, that's not as good.

The drop ends in a few hours for the AKG K7XX. At slightly more at $200, these very comfortable, one of the lightest former flagship open headphones at 235g (compare to HE-4XX's 370g, Focal Utopia's 490g, Abyss AB-1266's 620g), it's great for classical, jazz, acoustic and movies with a wide soundstage. I still use my white K701 that I got in 2006 in the living room for movies/TV.

*kicks rock* I fell for the Sennheiser HD 6XX drop

Buyers remorse? Is it because they don't ship 'til December? They're great headphones too -- I was tempted to do it, but don't really need 'em.

yeah I should probably plan for a good headphone amp before I get sad about not having planar magentic phones

er, any chance I could get away with using the headphone jack on this DAC I have sitting around?

oh yeah those Focusrites have nice DACs in them

I've been reading up on iems/earbuds lately because fucking apple earpods should not be a longterm device. The first thing I started googling is "iem soundstage". If I'm willing to drop $150 - $350 on dangles, they ought to at least simulate the headphone experience. Audeze iSine 10 came up in my searches but they are ugly for one thing.

From my searches: "IEMs are like closed headphones while earbuds are more like open headphones. If you want a big soundstage earbuds is the way to go (if it is okay for you to sacrifice sub bass, compared to IEMs)."

Currently I'm looking at the LZ-A4 hybrid.

I really don't like earbuds. I need my bass

Exactly. But from what I've read, earbuds have come a long way in the last few years. The hybrid I mentioned gets stellar reviews.

I still think the beyerdynamic dt770 and audiotechnica Ad700 are the best headphones you can get below $200.

And I still think people that buy headphones above $500 cant tell the difference.

if only I had their golden ears

ive never tried headphones above 500 so i cant say one way or another. would like to

As someone who has spent >$500 on a headphone and listened to headphones >$2k, it's a combination of sound quality, comfort and sound signature. >$1000 you're looking at extremely diminishing returns if not lateral changes in style and tone and there's a ton of products with very poor price performance ratios (MDR-Z1R, HD800S, LCD4, LCDX, Ether C Flow, etc). Clarity and detail is quite variable in headphones above $1k in my trials, and it's more about sound signature preferences, comfort, etc. An HD600 is like 90-95% of what you need for clarity, an HD800 will give you all of it for less than a grand. An LCD2 (which can be found new for $700) is to many a comparable if not better performer than the LCD3 (which is twice the price). Craziness. That said, there's some remarkable sounding gear out there above $500 and if you can't afford a good speaker setup or play music in your house loud, it's a worthy investment if music is more important to you than say television or movies.

The best way to find out is to actually trial some really nice cans. Bring your own and compare. For years I just used a DT-770 until I tried a bunch out in Japan while I was traveling and had a holy shit moment.

If you have a set budget it's perfectly acceptable to believe what you've got is as good as it gets!

For years I used the DT770 Pro and Denon AH-D2000 (which I still use at work) and they are great. It's not like there are crucial bits of range missing. Getting more into the hobby is definitely about gear geekery and appreciating the subtle differences in sound signatures, just like some get into wines or scotches, or musicians who collect different guitars. Not everyone is going to be able to tell the differences or care.

Super budget deal of the moment, the AKG K220 which lists for $160 will be as low as $50 on this Massdrop - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-m220-semi-open-studio-headphones.

Any way to drive the HFM HE400 straight from an iPhone? Or is that missing the point?

The Massdrop HE-4XX is efficient and can be used on an iPhone. You can compare the sensitivity stats of the other versions.

I was searching around because I managed to grab my own rare pokemon of headphones a few years back but only have the short cable for them and having the long one would be nice.

My hopes of people forgetting about them and the price dropping down has again been foiled by an article in 2016
https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/27/11312378/sony-eggo-headphones-mdr-d33

damn it people, stop writing about eggos!

I'd never tried active noise-canceling headphones until recently, and the ones I picked up had terrible sound for a bunch of money, so I sent them back. If you're into good sounding headphones is active noise-cancellation a bad thing? does it end up distorting the sound? because that's how these ones went (they were bluetooth too so maybe that's part of the crappiness?)

I feel like studio cans that have really good sound isolation are just as good noise wise and sound so much better...

i haven't heard high end noise canceling ones by sony or bose though

i have a pair for the bus and they pretty much suck but were cheap (cowin) and i don't care if they get wrecked

active noise cancelling headphones do change the sound yeah. i own some nicer audio techinica ones but dont really care for them for music listening. great for movies on an airplane tho

yeah, different tools for different purposes

if all you care about is sound quality, you will get a lot more bang for your buck by skipping active noise cancellation

for work environments (incl conference/video calls) and travel, to me ANC is worth the price. I’ve field-tested the current Bose, Beats and Sony offerings. All are good, tho I was shocked to find I actually prefer the Beats.

Bose is the strongest noise cancellation, which some equate with best. For me it was almost obtrusive as white noise and a noticeable feeling of pressure. Great for air travel but otherwise a little much.

Sony is probably the overall winner for sound quality/comfort/noise cancellation. Touch controls felt a little fussy and I’m not the kind to open an app to fine tune my experience for every track.

Beats... sounds good, ANC is gentle but works well, W1 pairs brilliantly if you’re already inside the Apple garden, and are most comfortable for my ears/head.

Still figuring out which of the three sounds best on the other side of a call...

as bad luck would have it, i broke my only pair of headphones (Shure SRH440)last night. i superglued it back together, but i can tell the days are numbered...which i guess means i'm in the market for a budget-nice pair of headphones, in the $100-$200 range.

i guess i may be going back to the good ol' Sennheiser HD280PRO, which i enjoyed for years before breaking a few years ago.

Sony is probably the overall winner for sound quality/comfort/noise cancellation. Touch controls felt a little fussy and I’m not the kind to open an app to fine tune my experience for every track.

This is my experience with the MDR1000X. I like be them, perfect for an open plan hot desk environment. I’ve then although the headband has cracked after a year and it’s 200 bucks to fix.

My colleague has these and is raving about them. I might want these at some point. They came out of a startup accelerator I mentor at.

https://au.nuraphone.com/?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.au%2F

my pioneer hdj-500s crapped out so i bought some phonon smb-02s

they get in tomorrow afternoon ... will report back soon

this is useful! I had bought the noise cancelling cans for my daughter, for whom the quality was still an update on her apple earbuds but to me not worth the 100+ €. we want the noise cancellation for her because our house can be noisy, so not for air travel. but then I was wondering if I'd like a pair like that. currently I'm happy with my sennheiser cx 3 earbuds (30 €) for on the run listening (at home I'm still in love with my grado sr-80s.

The Bose ones recently had a firmware update that lets you set the level of ANC. This is good for windy environments or for when you don't want to be so isolated.

thanks for that tip! still have bose and beats here duking it out...

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-hd-58x-jubilee-headphones

I use the Bose Quietcomforts for listening on the road and have become addicted to them - yes, the sound is distorted, but the noise-cancellation makes all the difference when you're listening in the metro, on a busy street, etc. Feel like it's a good way of protecting my ears too, since I don't need to crank it. Never going back to non-noise-cancellation hps.

I also have a few pairs of those chi-fi KZ-ATE in-ears, use them when I want something lighter. They're unmatched at the price.

Recently got a pair of Sony MDR-7605 for production use. They're crystal clear, quite comfortable, cable is practical, but they're unrealistically light in the sound - impossible to use them for EQing. A friend of mine recommended the Marshalls for this purpose, apparently they're realistically bassy/muffled.

those nuraphones look p interesting!

Dunno about the Nura - either that or a complete scam

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/02/21/17-year-old-girl-electrocuted-as-her-headphones-melted-in-her-ears.html

My question is, were they Bose or Beats?

the nuraphones look interesting but yeah that has my snakeoil radar going off

I've had these for a bit now...and I haven't ever had the nicer 600 series Sennheisers, so I'm not gonna parrot the "Sennheiser killer" thing you see some places...but. For open headphones that cost $50 these are ASTONISHING...I do think they are the Grado killers (SR60/80), I think the soundstage is better and the sound is less harsh and they are far more comfortable and well built (the comfort and build quality is really extraordinary at this price)

so if you are saving up for some more expensive cans, and want some opens for home use (these are super open would terrible in office environment btw), I've found these to be great, and I would expect match or outperform stuff that's 2X-3X the cost

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826138190&cm_re=Philips_SHP9500S-_-26-138-190-_-Product

Those look like they might be an updated version of a pair I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O2Y2MZG/

I mostly use them at home when I'm reading in bed because the open back is a bit much for the office, and they're a little on the large side for walking around too much. Really nice sound, though.

inova™

nura’s patented in & over architecture

Gettit?

xpost - yeah i bet they both say 50mm neodynium drivers the same way

I think philips tried breaking into the more expensive headphones market and didn't quite do it and they're using the same components in less expensive ones now? I'm sure some headphones nerds have dissected them all and are posting about it somewhere.

im wanting to buy those SHPs just to compare to the Senn 6XX i got

Audio Advisor has the HiFiMAN 400i for $219.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HMHE400I

If like me, you go through sets of earbuds quickly, check these out, they really are the best I've ever had, not even just for the money.

I especially like that they have a nice way of rendering those awkward mid frequencies that affect my aging ears.

https://www.wired.com/2017/01/review-kz-ate-hi-fi-earphones/

If like me, you go through sets of earbuds quickly, check these out, they really are the best I've ever had, not even just for the money.

I especially like that they have a nice way of rendering those awkward mid frequencies that affect my aging ears.

https://www.wired.com/2017/01/review-kz-ate-hi-fi-earphones🕸/

do they not have standard tips that you can buy some comply brand ones for?

XP - Oh god yes, they drive me nuts, it's the rubberised quality to the leads and the L-shaped construction, if they had linguine shaped cable they'd be miles better, never had a problem with the fitting.

But you know, £10, can't argue.

absolutely not. tho i’ve literally lost an earbud in transition between flights at dubai f’ing airport and by god i’m ready to do murder.

I live and die for open headphones so noise cancelling headphones are a definite no from me.

Thinking of getting Bluetooth HPs or IEMs for watching TV (and not disturbing the family). Tips welcome

i’m now officially trying to collect Sony eggo headphones from the 90s, very open to buying any, even broken pairs, if anyone has any hoarded

speaking of cheap china earplugs : as mentioned on ILE, a friend got me these open headphones for my birthday.
i have no idea how they match up with name brands, but for me they sound bloody brilliant.

http://www.bestearphones.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/500x500/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/8/6/8663941FPNWofpsL.jpg

those look great